Cigarette package



Jan. 16, 1968 A. K. MELCONIAN 3,363,821

\ CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed March 22, 1966.

FIG 4 a? ,6 :2" I M W 3 W FIG 7 v INVENTOR ALBERT KMECESNIAN FIG 6 A ORNEY,

United States Patent 3,363,821 CIGARETTE PACKAGE Albert K. Melconian, 2837 Yonge St, Toronto, Gntarin, Canada Fiied Mar. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 536,352 2 Claims. (Cl. 229--9) This invention relates to improvements in cigarette packages and more particularly to improvements in the sliding drawer type of cigarette packages.

Cigarette packets of the sliding drawer type in general have one major disadvantage in that the end flap of the drawer, which is folded over the upper ends of the cigarettes when the packet is closed, remains folded over the cigarettes when the drawer is slid open. Therefore, in order to gain access to the cigarettes, it is necessary to use two hands, one to support the outer case and the other to raise the flap. This is often not practical, particularly when one hand is required to continue other tasks such as carrying other objects, operating various devices or even steering a car or the like. In this latter case, either the action of using both hands or attempting to use only one hand to obtain a cigarette from the packet is both distracting and dangerous.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the instant invention to provide a cigarette packet having an end flap which automatically lifts and uncovers the ends of the cigarettes coincident upon the package being opened, and which can therefore be opened quickly and easily using only one hand and which will stay open until closed by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conventional cigarette packet with automatically opening end flap which is an adaptation of existing cigarette packets of the same type, and which can therefore be manufactured using readily adaptable machinery, the extra machinery required to adapt the packets being relatively inexpensive and adding only an infinitesimal amount to the manufacturing cost per packet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cigarette packet with automatically opening end flap in which the flap opening mechanism is simple and cheap and sufiiciently stable to insure proper operation throughout the useful life of the packet.

I achieve these and other objects and features of the invention by providing elastic material on the outer surface of the flap of the cigarette supporting drawer whereby the material is stretched when the flap is folded over the ends of the cigarettes and the marginal part tucked between the cigarettes and the Wall of the outer case and therefore acts to straighten the flap when it is released from the confines of the outer case and is permitted to assume its unstressed state.

In drawings which illustrate various embodiments of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a part cut-away, front perspective view of a cigarette packet of the present invention, the flap being closed within the outer case, and shown in enlarged, cut-away detail at one corner thereof,

FIGURE 2 is a part cut-away rear perspective view of the cigarette packet of FIGURE 1, showing the drawer pushed out and the flap open,

FIGURE 3 is a fractional rear view of the flap of a cigarette packet drawer showing strips of an alternative resilient material attached thereto,

FIGURE 4 is a rear view of a cigarette packet drawer during manufacture, showing the resilient material of FIGURE 1 attached thereto in a single strip,

FIGURE 5 is a fractional rear view of a cigarette packet drawer during manufacture, showing the alternative resilient material of FIGURE 3 attached thereto in a single strip,

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 5, showing a narrower band of resilient material centrally located on the flap,

FIGURE 7 is a fractional rear view of the drawer flap to which has been attached to a single narrow strip of the resilient material of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 8 is a fractional front perspective view of the cigarette packet of FIGURE 1 showing the cigarettes exposed,

FIGURE 9 is a fractional sectional side elevation of the cigarette packet of FIGURE 2, taken on the line 99.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1, 2, 8 and 9, a cigarette packet 1 includes an outer case 2 and an inner sliding drawer The drawer 3 supports the cigarettes 4 by means of a folded-in bottom flap 5 and retains the cigarettes by means of an upper flap 6. As shown particularly in FIGURE 1, when the cigarettes are not required, the flap 6 is folded in at bend lines 7 and 8 and is held folded by the outer case 2.

The bend lines 7 and 8 are in parallel, spaced apart relation and define an outer tab 9, a centre strip 10 and an inner portion 11.

At least one opening device 12 is attached to the rear surface of the upper flap 6 and in this particular embodiment each device 12 comprises three strips 13, I4 and 15 of non-elastic material such as, for instance, fabric joined in edge-to-edge contact by means of elastic thread means such as, for instance, elasicized rubber cord, as shown at 16 and 17.

As shown particularly in FIGURE 9, the device 12 is attached to the flap 6 such as by any suitable adhesive,

the strip 13 being glued to the outer tab 9 as shown at i 18, the strip 14- being glued to the centre strip 10 as shown at 19 and the strip 15 being glued to the inner portion 11 as shown at 29. It will be noted in this arrangement that the elastic thread 16 coincides with the bend line 7 and the elastic thread 17 coincides with the bend line 8 and in neither instance are they attached to the material of the flap 6. The material forming the threads 16 and 17 is thus able to stretch and retract freely.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that, upon the flap being folded-in as shown in FIGURE 1 the adjacent edges of the strips 13, 14 and 15 are spread apart, and the threads 16 and 17 are stretched and remain under tension all the time that the flap 6 is restrained by the outer case 2. Upon the case 2 being gripped by at least two fingers 21 and 22, the thumb 23 of the same hand may be inserted in the open lower end 24 of the.

case 2 and used to push on the lower flap .5, thus forcing the drawer 3 upwards and out of the open upper end of the said case. Upon the outer tab 9 of the upper flap 6 moving clear of the case, the restraint placed on the threads 16 and L7 is removed and they therefore assume their retracted configuration. This brings the adjacent edges of the strips 13 and 14 and strips I4 and and 15 together, moving the strips to a coplanar relationship. This action is transferred to the flap 6, the outer tab 9, centre strip 10 and inner portion 11, to which the strips 13, 14 and 15 are attached respectively, and these two become coplanar. The inner portion 11 forms the upper part of the drawer 3 and is substantially rigid so that, in assuming the coplanar attitude, the outer tab 9 and centre strip 10 are the moving parts and they align them selves with the rear wall of the drawer 3 of which the inner portion I1 is a part.

The resulting action then is to cause the flap 6 to straighten out and fully expose the upper ends of the cigarettes 4. A stroking motion by the thumb 23 may then be used to raise one or more cigarettes 4 ready for insertion in the mouth in the recognised smoking attitude.

In this coplanar relationship of the parts 9, 10 and 11 the tension of the elastic members 16 and 17, which has caused the said parts 9, and 11 to become coplanar, still exists as a straight pull on the rear surfaces of said parts to hold them to their coplanar relation and so retain the cigarettes exposed until the outer tab 9 is drawn forwards and inserted in the space between the cigarettes and the upper portion of the front wall of the outer case '2. The packet may then be completely closed by exerting pressure on the part 10 upon which the elastic members will be held under tension until the tab 9 is again removed from behind the wall of the outer case by inward pressure on the tab 5. It will thus be apparent that the elastic members serve the double function of bringing the cigarettes into exposure and keeping them exposed until the packet is intentionally closed.

FIGURES 4 and 7 show the device 12 substantially as described, although in FIGURE 4 it is one continuous portion 7 6 stretching the length of the flap 6, and in FIGURE 7 it is a narrow, centrally located portion 27 instead of the two spaced apart portions as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the opening device 12 of FIGURES 1 and 2 is replaced by an opening device 28 located at each end of an upper flap 29 having bend lines 3% and 31. The device 28 is a wide strip of elastic material glued across the width of the flap 29 at right angles to the bend lines 30 and 31 and extending onto the upper part of the drawer 32 supporting the flap 29. The device 28 is not adhered to the flap 29, however, in the vicinity of the bend lines 30 and 31 so that, upon the flap 29 being folded, the material glued to the flap will not stretch, but those portions which are free of the flap, at the bend lines, will stretch and become stressed. Removal of restraint from the flap 29 permits the resiliency of the material of the device 28 to come into effect, thereby shrinking in the areas of the bend lines and straightening the flap 29 in the same manner as heretofore described with the flap 6 of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 5 illustrates the equivalent of the device 28 as a continuous elastic portion 33 extending across the flap 29 but being unsecured at the bend lines 30 and 31 while FIGURE 6 illustrates the equivalent of said device 28 as a narrow, centrally located elastic portion 34 on the flap 29 unsecured at the bend lines 30 and 31.

From the foregoing descriptions it will be noted that either of the devices 12 or 28 in any form as shown may be easily manufactured and attached to conventional cigarette packets as an additional manufacturing step and may be applied using known gluing mechanisms. Thus the additional manufacturing costs are relatively small, and when applied over a large production run, would not noticeably increase the cost per packet.

While certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What I claim is:

1. In a cigarette package comprising an open-ended outer case of generally rectangular cross section, a drawer comprising front and rear and edge walls slidable in said case for projection from one end thereof, said drawer having an extension of one side wall thereof hinged along one edge to said side wall, said extension having 21 marginal flap hinged thereto in parallel relation to the hinge connection between said extension and said side wall and spaced therefrom a distance corresponding to the transverse depth of said drawer, said extension being foldable across the corresponding end of said drawer to provide a closure therefor, said hinged flap being foldable to a position behind the adjacent Wall of said outer case remote from the side wall from which said extension projects, the improvement comprising:

(a) flexible sheet means anchored exteriorly of the rear wall of said drawer and extending across said extension and said fiap, said flexible means being secured to said extension and to said flap but being unsecured to said hinges, at least the portions of said sheet means which extend across said hinges being elastic in a direction transversely of said hinges, said elastic portions being in constant tension in a direction transversely of said extension and said flap to yieldingly urge said extension and said flap towards co-planar relation with the rear Wall of said drawer whereby on outward movement of said drawer a sufficient distance to move said flap from behind said Wall of said outer case said elastic porportions will expand and cause said flap and said extension to be raised out of closing relation to the end of said drawer.

2. A cigarette package according to claim 1, characterised in that said sheet means is wholly elastic in a direction transversely of said extension and said fiap and is adheringly secured to the exterior surface of said rear wall of said drawer and to said extension and said flap but is unsecured to said hinges, said unsecured portions of said elastic sheet means extending across said hinges being tensioned in direction transversely of said hinges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1888 Munson 229-2 7 3/1933 Fortuna et a1. 206-41 

1. IN A CIGARETTE PACKAGE COMPRISING AN OPEN-ENDED OUTER CASE OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION, A DRAWER COMPRISING FRONT AND REAR AND EDGE WALLS SLIDABLE IN SAID CASE FOR PROJECTION FROM ONE END THEREOF, SAID DRAWER HAVING AN EXTENSION OF ONE SIDE WALL THEREOF HINGED ALONG ONE EDGE TO SAID SIDE WALL, SAID EXTENSION HAVING A MARGINAL FLAP HINGED THERETO IN PARALLEL RELATION TO THE HINGE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID EXTENSION AND SAID SIDE WALL AND SPACED THEREFROM A DISTANCE CORRESPONDING TO THE TRANSVERSE DEPTH OF SAID DRAWER, SAID EXTENSION BEING FOLDABLE ACROSS THE CORRESPONDING END OF SAID DRAWER TO PROVIDE A CLOSURE THEREFOR, SAID HINGED FLAP BEING FOLDABLE TO A POSITION BEHIND THE ADJACENT WALL OF SAID OUTER CASE REMOTE FROM THE SIDE WALL FROM WHICH SAID EXTENSION PROJECTS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) FLEXIBLE SHEET MEANS ANCHORED EXTERIORLY OF THE REAR WALL OF SAID DRAWER AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID EXTENSION AND SAID FLAP, SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS BEING 